Finding What Was Lost
by AngelofMusic15
Summary: Two ordinary girls suddenly end up in Middle earth and have no idea what is going on. They have no way of going home and everything goes downhill from there. What is a girl to do without everything she's ever known? Please read!
1. Normalcy to a Point

Author's Note: I have decided to completely re-do this story. I started it when I was about thirteen and back then I really didn't know much about the story except for what I had seen in the movies. Now that I have read the books more closely for details I may have missed earlier, I can understand more of what was going on. When I went back and re-read this story, I noticed how Mary-sue it was and it completely shocked me to know of how ignorant I had once been. This newer version will be different than the original and I hope it will be better, more interesting, and less two-dimensional. I'm not saying that it won't be a Mary-sue, because it will be, but just that hopefully it won't be as unrealistic. I apologize in advance if I somehow upset any of you that liked the original better, but this is what I felt that I needed to do.

Disclaimer: I do not own The Lord of the Rings and I never will. I only own Natasha and Emily and maybe a few new characters along the way.

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Chapter One: Normalcy…to a Point

"I don't see why my mom made me stay home this year. She usually always lets me go with her to the party," I pouted as I sat down on the couch in front of the TV. "I mean, come on. How many seventeen year-old girls are inside, all alone, without any boys, on New Year's Eve?"

"Oh, give it up, Tasha," my best friend, Emily, said as she sat down next to me. "It's not that bad. Think of how I feel. My parents went to Times Square for the celebration and left me here to rot with you." I folded my arms across my chest and glared at her. In return, Emily smiled innocently at me and handed me the bowl of popcorn. With a huff, I took the bowl and focused my eyes on the TV. My annoyance with my mother only increased as we watched the people partying and screaming on the television.

"I just don't get it," I continued on with my earlier topic. "My mother can be so unfair." I turned to Emily just in time to see her roll her eyes.

"And I just don't get why you can't let it go!" Emily said, exasperated. "Maybe your mother wanted to have some fun without you."

"Are you saying my mother was trying to get rid of me?"

"No," Emily replied, "I'm just saying that even mothers like to go out by themselves sometimes."

"But still-"

"Natasha, it's New Year's Eve. Relax, let it go, and move on."

I groaned and laid back against the end of the couch. I stretched out my legs and smiled as they put themselves across Emily's lap. She shook her head, smiling and let them be, our previous feud forgotten for the time. But minutes quickly lapsed by and I couldn't help but grow bored and tired from watching all the people having fun on the television.

"Natasha, you're not falling asleep on me, are you?" My eyes snapped open. I blinked several times and focused on Emily's face.

"Of course not," I told her, pretending to be shocked.

"Really? Because your eyes have been closed for the past ten minutes," she said.

"They have?"

"Yup."

"Oh."

"Are you really that tired?"

"No, I'm just bored. It's probably because I know I could be out there partying, but I'm stuck here inside with you," I answered. Emily rolled her eyes.

"Maybe this will help liven things up then," she said. I was about to ask her what she was talking about, but before I could, I found my entire head drenched in water. Sputtering, I sat up, wiped the water from my eyes, and stared up at Emily in shock.

"What the hell was that for?" I demanded. Emily stood up and laughed.

"I wanted you to stop complaining about the damn party that you had the misfortune of missing," Emily replied.

"Well, now you're going to have the misfortune of me complaining about being wet," I stuck my tongue out at her. Emily simply shrugged her shoulders and sat back down and continued watching the TV. Not wanting to miss the perfect opportunity, I picked up a handful of popcorn and chucked it at her. Emily gasped in surprise and stood up.

"Eww! You pervert! You got popcorn down my shirt! I saw you aim for there!" she screamed. This caused me to fall down laughing as Emily proceeded to dig out the popcorn from her shirt. Finally, with a growl of frustration, she stood straight up, put her hands on her hips, and stared at me.

"Fine. Truce?"

"Sure," I managed to gasp out.

Within five minutes, I had calmed down and everything had quickly gone back to normal. We were back to watching the TV again. It was now three minutes until midnight…until 2007.

"I'll go get the…champagne," I said as I stood up and stretched.

"Your mom bought you alcohol?" Emily asked, incredulous. I snorted.

"What makes you think that she bought it for _me?_ It's here, we're here, and mom's gone. The circumstances are calling me towards it."

"Natasha! Surely you're not actually going to actually drink it!" she exclaimed.

"Emily, lighten up. You know I wouldn't. It's just apple cider," I laughed at her.

"Oh," Emily blushed. I shook my head at her and poured two glasses of the "champagne".

"Sometimes I think you can be so stu-" but Emily suddenly cut me off.

"Shh! The countdown is starting!"

"10…9…8…7…6…5…4…3…2…1! Happy New Year!" Emily and I clanked out glasses together and took a sip.

"So…what's your New Year's resolution, Tasha?" Emily asked me.

"I don't know. I guess I want to stop being so afraid to take chances. I want to start reaching out to things I want. What about you, Emily?"

"I want to lose twenty pounds," she said in an annoyingly perky voice. I snorted into my drink. "No, I want to stop being such a control freak. I'm always planning things on going a certain way, and when they don't, I get upset. I want to learn to live for the moment." I nodded and a silence drifted between us for a few minutes. Finally, I spoke.

"Well, I guess we should-" but I stopped as a huge yawn escaped my lips.

"You guess we should what?" Emily asked, amused.

"Got to bed," I finally finished.

"Yeah, I'm tired," she agreed. I nodded and walked over to turn of the TV. However, as my finger reached to push the off button, it turned off automatically. When I turned to look at Emily, I expected to see her grinning and holding the remote. Instead, though, she looked just as confused as me. She tucked her blond shoulder-length hair behind her ears and opened her mouth to speak.

"Well, that was weird," she said and I had to laugh at her "brilliant" observation. I looked back at the TV and tried to turn it back on. Nothing happened. I made to move, but the lights suddenly turned off as well.

"What the hell is going on here?" I asked, exasperated.

"I have no idea," Emily replied, her voice on the other side of the room. "Do you have any flashlights?"

"Yeah, I'll go get them," I said as I slowly made my way to where I thought the kitchen was located. I only managed to stub my toe once on the coffee table, but the situation was getting so creepy that neither of us was able to bring ourselves to laugh at my clumsiness. Once I reached the cabinet where we kept out flashlights, I felt around inside for it. I finally found it and let out a relived "aha!" I flipped the switch but nothing happened.

"Emily, it's not working," I said, somewhat nervously.

"Maybe it just needs new batteries," she offered.

"I changed then last night when I dropped an earring under my bed," I told her. "It should be working."

"That's weird. Do you have any candles?" I shook my head, but quickly remembered that she couldn't see me.

"No, my mom hates candles. She says the different scents and smoke from them bother her sinuses," I answered.

"We're screwed," Emily laughed softly, though I could tell that she was beginning to get scared.

"Let's open the blinds on the windows. Maybe we'll be able to see a little from the moonlight," I heard Emily shuffle through the living room. I began walking over to the other window, but Emily's voice stopped me.

"Um, Natasha?" she started. "I can see houses that still have their electricity. Maybe we should go over and ask if we could borrow a couple of flashlights." I quickly agreed and walked towards the front door and began to open it.

"Holy shit! The door won't open!" I nearly shouted.

"Did you try unlocking it first?" came Emily's dry tone from the living room. I immediately rolled my eyes.

"No, good idea," I said sarcastically, "cause I'm just that stupid!"

"Well, sometimes you can be," Emily answered. I growled.

"I'm serious, Emily. It won't open!"

"I'm…I'm going to call my brother. He'll come and pick us up. Because I'm starting to get a little freaked out," Emily announced. I didn't say anything but instead continued trying to open the door. It still wouldn't budge. I rested my head against the door and took a few deep breaths, willing myself to calm down. After a few moments, I heard a few frustrated groans coming from Emily.

"What?" I asked her.

"My cell phone's not working," she literally whined.

"Did you try my home phone?"

"It didn't work either."

"Crap," I said as I walked back into the living room.

"What are we going to do?" she groaned.

"You expect _me_ to know?" I snapped.

"Listen, let's try and calm down. There's got to be some reasonable explanation for this," Emily said. I snorted sarcastically and I could practically feel her glaring at me.

"Well, then, Miss Logic, what do _you_ suppose we do?" I asked her.

"I suggest we sit down on the couch and wait until the power comes on or until your mom gets home," she answered. I did what she suggested and she soon followed.

Not even two minutes passed by before I realized that I could not just simply sit down and do nothing. I was already too worried, though I tried to hide it, and my conscious kept repeating in my head all the horrible things that could happen. I went to open my mouth, but before I could, a loud crash was heard from upstairs. Emily and I both must have jumped at least three feet in the air each. My heart began racing so hard and fast that it almost hurt.

"What was that?" Emily screeched, panic clearly taking over the rational part of her.

"How the hell should I know?" I screamed back.

"Do you think we should go up and see?" she asked. I turned to her voice in shock.

"Are you insane?"

"Shouldn't we see what is up there?"

"If we want to be killed, the yes."

"What do you mean?" Emily asked.

"Are you really that stupid? When all the lights are off, the doors locked, and the phone connection gone, you do NOT go upstairs towards a large crash!" I shrieked. "A kidnapper could be up there. Or…or…or a rapist. Maybe a murderer! They could have been planning this all along!"

"Natasha, calm down," Emily said.

"Calm down? CALM DOWN? You were the one screaming a second ago!"

"You're panicking. Just take a deep breath. Good. Now, we don't know what's up there. That's why we're going to look up there. We're seventeen. It was probably just your cat who ran into something in the dark," Emily tried to reason. And it worked. Somewhat. Just in case, I suddenly ran into the kitchen and grabbed two steak knives and handed one to Emily.

"Let's go," she said. We quietly made our way upstairs. We entered my mother's bedroom, but from the light from the moon, we could see that nothing was disturbed in there. We exited the room and we found ourselves walking towards my bedroom. The door was shut. I looked at Emily. Although I could not see the look she was most likely giving me, I could tell we were both thinking the same thing. While I was out of my bedroom, I NEVER shut my door.

Taking a deep breath, I slowly reached for the door handle, Slowly but surely, I pushed my door open. Emily and I took small, hesitant steps into my bedroom. Once we were completely in, the door slammed behind us. Emily and I jumped closer together. I was about to turn back for the door, but a blinding light suddenly erupted from the middle of nowhere. My hands immediately lifted to cover my eyes, causing my knife to drop to the floor and I heard Emily's fall as well not a split second later.

The light soon became too much for me. My skin began to burn and I became lightheaded. I swayed for a few seconds before I fell heavily to the ground. The last thing I remembered was seeing Emily collapsing beside me before a large eye, covered in flame, clouded my vision. A second later, everything faded to black and I could see no more.

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Thank you, thank you, thank you for taking the time to read this chapter. They will arrive in Middle-earth in the next chapter and I hope that things will begin getting better and more interesting. I'd appreciate it if you'd review, but please no flames. I certainly accept any constructive criticism you can give me. Thanks again! 


	2. Lost

Disclaimer: I do not own The Lord of the Rings or any of its characters. I only own Natasha and Emily and maybe other new characters along the way.

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Chapter 2: Lost

"Natasha! Natasha, please wake up! Natasha!" I heard a frantic screaming in my ears. I was being shaken roughly and more a few times I felt someone tapping my cheeks. My eyes fluttered open and it took me a few moments to realize that it was Emily who had woken me.

"Oh, thank God! You scared me!" she screamed as she hugged me tightly. I quickly pushed her away and stared at her in confusion.

"Calm down, Emily. I'm fine," I reassured her. She nodded and wiped the tears off of her face. "Why are you crying?"

"Why are you _not_ crying? I have no idea where we are!" she answered.

"What are you talking about? We're at my hou-" but I stopped when I saw Emily shaking her head. I looked past her and instead of seeing the purple walls of my bedroom, I saw green. Lots and lots of green, in fact. My eyes widened instantly. I wondered why I hadn't noticed my surroundings before. We were in a forest, and I knew that there weren't any forests close to my home.

"How did we get here?" I asked fearfully as I sat up. Emily shook her head quickly.

"I have no idea. I don't even know where we are," she replied as she back on her heels. I suddenly stood up and reach down, pulling Emily to her feet.

"The last thing I remember is walking into my bedroom, seeing this bright light, and then passing out," I said thoughtfully.

"Me too," Emily nodded her head sadly. "And this big fiery eye."

"Yeah," I responded, "I saw that too." Neither us spoke for a while. We stood there, further taking in our surroundings. It was broad daylight, birds were chirping, and the sun was beating down on us harshly, despite the cover of the trees.

"So…what do we do?" I asked hesitantly.

"I don't know," Emily shrugged.

"Do you think we should call out for help?"

"No. We don't know what kind of animals could be out her," Emily said. I nodded; that made sense.

"Well…I say we find a water source and follow it in one direction. There's bound to be some people along it. And that way, when it gets dark, we camp by if we haven't found anybody by then," I suggested.

"It's the only plan we've got," Emily sighed. I nodded and began walking, in which direction I'm not sure, with Emily on my left. We walked for what seemed like hours. We finally came upon a small stream, but by then it was nearly dark. We decided to make a small camp, but it became more of a problem than we originally thought it would be.

"Where do you think we should start?" I asked.

"We could make a fire."

"But I don't know how to make one."

"Neither do I," Emily moaned. "I was never a Girl Scout."

"Well, in the movies, people always made them by rubbing two twigs together," I said. I quickly stood up and gathered two sticks and began my "plan" to build a fire. It didn't work.

"Let me try," Emily said. "It can't be that hard." By the time the sun had finally set, Emily had managed to make a small fire. However, we had to blankets to sleep on or cover up with, we couldn't catch any fish, and we were getting colder by the minute. As we were both still in our pajamas from the night before, which consisted of flannel pants and tank tops, and all we had on our feet were thin slippers, we got as close to the fire and to each other as we could. Things were certainly getting worse by the second.

"I'm scared, Emily," I whispered. She turned to me and smiled slightly.

"Me too," she responded.

"What if we die out here? What if we never see our families again and we don't get a chance to say we love them one more time? What if we never get the chance to do all the things in life that we've dreamed of doing for so long?" I ranted on. Tears were beginning to come to my eyes for the first time I had woken up.

"I'm s-scared of a-all t-that stuff t-too!" Emily sobbed. And for that night, Emily and I both cried ourselves to sleep. We both feared what the next few days would bring, or if we'd even be alive to see them.

* * *

The next morning, I woke up to fin Emily missing. Frantic, I sat up and looked around. I was relieved when I saw her washing her face by the creek. As if sensing my presence, Emily turned to me. I said good morning but she just began to laugh.

"What?" I asked.

"Your hair," she laughed, "and your face." Confused, I walked over to the creek and gazed at my reflection. My long dark hair was in complete disarray and smudges of dirt decorated my face. Giggling, I splashed my face with the water and wetted my hair down and got it to look as neat as possible. If we did find people, I didn't want to scare them off by looking like I hadn't had a bath in years.

Emily had managed to find a small patch of berries and we ate as many as we could. We hadn't eaten in over a day and if we wished to continue looking today, we needed to at least have a small amount of food in our stomachs.

Once we were ready, we began walking along side the stream. We walked for what we thought was about four hours and there was still no sign of civilization. The sun rose high in the sky and beads of sweat clung to my forehead and the back of my neck. Our steps became sloppy and we both managed to stumble from lack of food and a good night's rest. It was around five, or at least figured it to be, when we decided to camp for the night. Without even bothering to make a fire first, we both sat down on a large rock, exhausted. Suddenly, my stomach growled loudly. Emily turned to me and couldn't help but laugh.

"I'm so hungry," I said sheepishly. She nodded.

"Me too."

"If we don't find any more food, I don't know if I'm going to be able to walk tomorrow," I said dejectedly.

"Same here," Emily replied. "I just want to go home, sleep in my bed, take a shower, and have some fettuccini." I laughed slightly at the last part.

"I would do the same. Except I would have chicken fingers from Chili's. They're my favorite food," I sighed hungrily.

"And maybe some Dr. Pepper," Emily added.

"And cookie dough ice cream."

"Natasha?"

"Hmm?"

"This isn't making the situation any better. In fact, I'm just getting hungrier."

"Yeah, me too."

"Maybe we should talk about something else other than food," Emily suggested.

"Like maybe how ridiculous it is that we're in the middle of nowhere, with no food, a slim chance of survival, and we're talking about our favorite foods," I offered. I glanced at Emily, caught her eye, and suddenly we burst out into laughter simultaneously.

"Why a-are we e-even laughing?" I asked breathlessly.

"I d-don't know," answered Emily. Before either of us could comment on the stupidness of the situation, a large roar sounded somewhere out in the forest. I immediately stopped laughing. I looked over at Emily, fear written on my face. I scrambled to my feet.

"What the hell was that?" I nearly screamed. Emily opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. Instead, all I heard was another roar, and this time it sounded as if it was coming closer.

"Where should we hide?" I asked frantically. Emily's eyes quickly darted around the forest.

"The trees!"

"What?"

"Climb a tree! Hurry!" Emily screamed.

"Climb a tree? I can't! You know I'm afraid of heights!" I objected, my voice coming out in a high squeak towards the end of the last sentence.

"You might not have a choice, Natasha!" Emily said. After another loud roar, I decided that she was right. I nodded and began climbing the tree nearest to me. I heard Emily scrambling up behind me. My hands were shaking so badly that twice I slipped and Emily had to climb up above me and help me the rest of the way up. Once all the way up, I took a glance down. I became dizzy and I was tempted to climb back down. However, Emily grasped my arm tightly, stopping me as if she knew what I was thinking. I glanced up at her and with wide eyes, Emily shook her head.

For the next few minutes, the roars and growls continued, each one obviously closer than the previous. It wasn't long before we could hear talking as well. I couldn't understand them, but their language sounded harsh and their laughter even harsher. Suddenly, the creatures entered our sight.

Beside me, Emily stifled a gasp. I couldn't blame her. Even though the setting sun offered little light, I could see them quiet well and they were completely hideous. Their skin was dark and scabby looking. Few had small patches of hair and many, if not all, had severely deformed features. They all carried long swords, knives, shields, and a couple even had what appeared to be bows and arrows. They then seemed to stop and one, who I guessed was the leader, surveyed the area.

He suddenly barked out in his harsh language to one of the others. Another creature stepped forward and handed him a bow. He quickly notched an arrow and shot one up into a nearby tree. He repeated this action a few times and seemed somewhat pleased. However, when he aimed an arrow in our direction, my heart froze. The creature let the arrow go and it flew towards us in a slow motion. All of the sudden, a searing pain erupted in my shoulder and Emily quickly covered my scream with her hand. Tears clouded my vision as I looked down at my left arm. I noticed that the arrow, while having gone past us, had slashed deep in my arm on it sway. Blood already began seeping out of the wound and I immediately tore my eyes away from the horrible sight.

"We shall came here tonight, boys," I heard one of the creatures say and this time I understood him. My eyes widened as I stared at Emily. Her expression mirrored my own. However, the sting in my arm quickly reminded me that while it was horrible that we would have to stay in the tree for the night, my arm needed to be tended to. Emily seemed to understand as I saw her mouth the word "shit."

She then ripped off a piece of her flannel pajama bottoms and motioned for my arm. Emily grimaced at the sight of the torn flesh. My eyes watered heavily as I tried to choke back the sobs that wanted so badly to escape my lips. I bit my tongue till it bled while Emily wrapped the cloth tightly around my arm. She mumbled a quiet "sorry" as she tied the knot. Once finished, she hugged me, careful of my arm, and whispered in my ears that we could be okay; that we would find a way to safety. I nodded numbly and the pain soon overcame me. I passed out.

* * *

"Natasha. Natasha wake up," I heard someone whispering in my ear. My eyes opened and I quickly remembered our situation. I looked over at Emily who was pointing down to the hideous creatures.

"They're leaving," she whispered. I quickly looked down and noticed she was right. The sun had risen and the creatures were moving about their camp, packing up their items, and putting out the fire they had built. A few even picked up a dead deer they must have killed while I had been asleep.

"After they leave, we should wait for an hour before going back down. We need to be sure that they're gone," Emily said quietly. I nodded mutely. However, before I could so much as look back down at the creatures, a loud screech echoed throughout the forest. I looked down and immediately realized what had caused the commotion. One of the creatures had a large arrow embedded in its chest. It fell to the ground, dead.

At first I thought that it had been shot by one of its own kind, for it seemed that they would be the type of creature to kill each other when irritated. However, I hurriedly revised my conclusion when a huge swarm of arrows headed towards the creatures from my right. Several more fell down, their black blood staining the grass.

A group of people rode in on horses from my right and began attacking the creatures. Some continued to use their bows while others used swords to slash down at their enemy. Emily and I watched in both amazement and horror as the battle raged on beneath us. It was a blur of both grace and harsh movements as they fought each other. It did not take long, however, ad the people on horses greatly outnumbered the others.

Once it was all over, we watched as the people burned the carcasses of their enemy. No one of their own had been killed, and I as I looked closer, I realized that only a few had small scratches and the rest were completely unharmed. The soldiers talked together in another unknown language, although theirs seemed to flow beautifully as compared to the other.

Suddenly, one soldier looked straight up in our direction. He had blond hair that reached his mid-back and his grey eyes narrowed. He swiftly turned around and walked over to two black haired men who had their backs to us. He said something and they nodded simply. I found myself dreading the thought that he had indeed spotted us. However, the soldiers soon got back on their horses and rode away. Relief immediately swept through me and as I looked at Emily, I realized she felt the same way.

We agreed to wait an hour as we had originally planned as we did not know who those people were or if they would help us. Emily climbed down the tree first and helped me down as I was careful not to damage my arm anymore. Once on solid ground, I collapsed into a heap, excited beyond belief to be out of the tree. We began making our way to the creek but after a few steps, a voice stopped us.

"No dhinen!"

Gasping, Emily and turned around. My eyes widened as I found myself face to face with the soldiers who had killed the creatures. I gulped as I noticed the arrow at my chest ands the angry expressions on their faces. One single thought passed through my mind as I analyzed the situation: we're screwed.

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Thank you so much for reading this chapter. I'll have the next one up soon. I will not tolerate flames but I do accept constructive criticism. Please review! 


	3. Meetings

I would like to express my thanks to all of those who reviewed the last two chapters. It brightens up my day when I open up my e-mail and find reviews from people who like my story. In fact, it makes me want to update even quicker because I know that other people are enjoying it. Thanks again!

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Chapter 13: Meetings

We were most certainly screwed, I decided, as we stood there for what seemed like hours while arrows were pointed at out chests. It was quite nerve-wrecking. I was just glad that I hadn't fallen when I had turned around so quickly. I made a note to myself to not make any sudden movements in fear that I would fall on to the arrows in the process.

I shifted my eyes to look over at Emily. Her eyes were frozen on the people in front of us and she didn't move a muscle. It even somewhat looked like she wasn't breathing and I knew she was trying hard not to get herself any closer to the arrows. When I looked back at the others, my eyes met those of person who had the arrow at my chest. I offered a small grin in hopes that he would realize that I meant no harm. He only continued to glare.

"Man le? Man le carel si?" he asked. Emily and I did look at each other this time and I knew confusion was written on my face as it was hers. A sudden, sharp jab in my stomach forced me to look back.

"Le si am man theled?" he said.

"Sir, we don't underst-" Emily tried to say, but another cut her off sharply.

"No dhnien!" Emily shrunk back from the forcefulness of the voice.

"Please," I begged, "we don't mean any harm!" The one who had cut off Emily moved closer to me, walking with a threatening stance. But before he could get to close to me, the one with the arrow at my chest held out his arm and stopped him.

"Ava bedir i lam edhellen. Ava cheniar," he said quietly. A look of understanding crossed the other's face before he nodded and took a few steps back. The person who had stopped him turned back to us.

"What are you doing here?" he asked in a strangely accented voice. Emily and I looked at each other in relief.

"Thank God you speak English," Emily mumbled more to herself than to anyone else.

"English?" the man asked, clearly confused. "I do not know of a language called 'English.'"

"You're speaking it now," I insisted. He shook his head.

"What we are speaking is called Westron, the common tongue," the man told us. Emily opened her mouth to speak.

"But-"

"Listen," the person snapped unexpectedly. "We do not have the time to waste on a subject such as this. Would you please simply tell us why you are here so we may move on to more pressing matters?"

"Sir," I sighed. "We do not even know where 'here' is. We woke up in this forest yesterday morning without so much as a clue to where we are. We have been walking for the past few days looking for someone to help us."

"Don't lie!" the stranger hissed. I looked at him, offended.

"I'm not!"

"Then explain why you were hiding up in the tree earlier this morning."

"We were hiding from those…those creatures!" Emily exclaimed. "And plus, we didn't know if you guys would hurt us or not. We were just being cautious."

"I admit that most elves are too fond of humans, but not one of us would have turned our backs on someone who needed help," he said. I stared at him, wide-eyed.

"Elves?" I laughed. "What the hell are you guys smoking?"

"I'm afraid that I do not understand what you are implying about us," the stranger replied. I grew even more shocked.

"Elves don't exist, buddy. It's as simple as that," I told him, incredulous. His eyes flashed dangerously.

"Never before have I met more ignorant girls than yourselves!"

"Ignorant?" Emily repeated. "It's a hell of a lot better than being so friggin' high that you can't tell the difference between reality and Santa's little helpers!" The stranger suddenly un-notched his arrow and moved it back from my chest before motioning for the others to follow his example. I looked at him, even more bewildered than before.

"Very well," he began. "We are leaving. Our questions have been answered; you are nothing but foolish young girls who cannot possibly even be a minor threat to anyone. Therefore, we will rid you of our horrible and inconvenient presences." They then turned and proceeded to walk away. Emily and I stared after them in surprise.

"Wait!" Emily cried out. No one stopped. "Please, aren't you guys going to help us?" The dark-haired leader faced us.

"You seem to have everything under control," he stated. "You have done fine by yourselves for the past few days. You will eventually find some others to help you with your predicament. However, I would suggest being more courteous with them than you have been with us. Others will not be so kind."

"But we'll probably die out here!" Emily shouted. "Can't you at least give us some food for the rest of our walk?"

"Miss," he growled, "You have been rude to us and have done nothing but insult us. Why should I, or anyone for that matter, want to help you?" He turned on his heel, bow grasped tightly in his hand, and began walking to catch up with the rest of his company that had gone on without him.

"So sticking arrows in our faces and demanding us to answer questions without so much as a 'please' is considered polite, is it?" I shouted out. Once again, we were only faced with the picture of their retreating backs.

"Please," Emily pleaded one last time, her voice a great deal softer. "My friend is hurt. Could you at least give us some bandages and disinfectant cream so it doesn't become even more infected?" I watched as the stranger hesitated for a split second before he turned back around. His eyes rested on my left arm, which was beginning to throb horribly as I had forgotten about it for the time. The way his eyes seemed to study my arm and the way his brow furrowed in thought led me to believe that he hadn't noticed it before. I didn't blame him though; he had been too busy trying to scare the hell out of us.

"How badly are you injured?" he asked, his eyes searching mine before they dropped back to the blood-soaked rag that covered my wound.

"I don't know," I replied honestly. "There was too much blood at the time to see how deep the cut was." He stood completely still for a minute, as if he was deciding to believe my response or not, before he accepted my answer and nodded.

"Then you will follow us back to our camp and one of us shall tend to your wound. We will provide both of you with food and blankets for the night, but when dawn comes, we will head our separate ways. Understood?" he finished. Emily and I both nodded our heads in understanding. He then turned back a round and we both hurried after him.

"Where are your horses?" Emily asked.

"They are back at the camp already," he answered. "Along with the rest of the soldiers."

"Is it a long walk?" The stranger shook his head curtly. Emily and I quickly took it as a sign that he wished for us to stop talking; so we did.

We walked for about ten minutes before we came upon a relatively large camp full of many others. A few were making some sort of a meal over a fire, some were tending to the horses, and others were simply relaxing while talking with others.

"Elladan!" a voice suddenly called out from behind us. The stranger in front of us stopped and turned around, focusing on something behind us. Emily and I turned around as well and we were both shocked to see a man identical to the first walking towards us.

"Elladan," the other said again. "Who have you brought back with you?"

"They are of no consequence, Elrohir," the person now named 'Elladan' answered. "One of them is merely injured and I could not bring myself to let her go unattended to." Elrohir nodded his head in understanding, but he closely regarded us with mistrust.

"Very well," he replied stiffly. "Shall I get your supplies?"

"If you could," came Elladan's answer. Elrohir nodded and walked off. Elladan then turned to me with a stoic expression on his face. "If you would follow me, I will take care of your wound." Then, turning to Emily, he said, "You may go sit next to the fire. I will have one of my soldiers bring you a meal." He turned swiftly on his heel and walked over to a nearby tree where Elrohir was standing. I looked at Emily but she simply shrugged with a frown on her face and walked over to the fire. Sighing, I strode over to Elladan.

"Should I sit?" I asked timidly, not wishing to be as rude as I had been before. While walking to the camp, I had decided to be as quiet and polite as I could because I had realized that these people were helping us and it was the least I could do.

"Yes," Elladan said shortly. I sat down carefully, mindful of my arm. I leaned my back against the tree and avoided looking at both Elladan and Elrohir.

"Thank you, Elrohir," Elladan said to his companion. "Will you please get a meal for the other girl?" Out of the corner of my eye, I watched as Elrohir nodded and began making his way to the fire. I heard Elladan opening a pack in which I assumed contained his supplies. I then watched as he began to un-wrap my wound. I grimaced as it came into my sight. The blood had dried and now that I could see the cut, I noticed that it was very deep.

"How did you get this wound?" he asked suddenly.

"An arrow."

"How?" he repeated.

"While we were hiding in the trees from those creatures-" I started.

"Orcs," Elladan interrupted.

"What?" I questioned.

"The creatures are called orcs," he answered. I looked up and met his eye before quickly looking away.

"Oh," I said. "Anyways, they were shooting arrows up into trees; I think they were probably looking for people who could be up there. Well, the leader shot one up into our tree and it cut my arm on its way."

"Is it sore?"

"What do you think?" I snapped suddenly. Elladan gave me a warning glance. "Sorry." He nodded.

"Very well; I believe you," he said. He then turned his attention from my face and instead began looking through his bag. He pulled out a canteen of some sort and a few white cloths. "This will burn."

"Just do it," I told him. Elladan nodded and poured some of the liquid from the canteen on to the cloth. He then slowly brought the cloth to the wound. I gasped and closed my eyes as he began to wipe away the blood and clean the wound. After a few moments, he lifted the cloth from my arm and I re-opened my eyes. My eyes widened as he pulled out what appeared to be a needle and some thread.

"What is that for?" I asked him, fearfully. Elladan looked up at me and slight look of sympathy crossed his face.

"It will need to be stitched up," he answered.

"Why?" I questioned, panicking. "It's already stopped bleeding. There's no danger of me dying from blood loss!"

"With a cut this deep, it is likely to get infected. It will need to be sown up to prevent infection from getting in and making it hurt even worse."

"Do you have to?"

"I'm afraid so," Elladan replied. I met his eyes and slowly nodded my head. I turned my face from the sight of the needle as it approached my arm. I gritted my teeth and suppressed my screams as the stinging sensation came back again, even worse then before. I felt the needle biting into my skin and I forced myself to think of happier images. By the time he had announced he was finished, tears heavily clouded my vision. I swallowed tightly and glanced at the wound. Elladan had already applied a soothing cream on to the cut as well as wrapping it up with cleaner bandages. He then had instructed me to clean it a couple times a day when we were back on our own. Once he was finished instructing me on how to take care of it properly, he told me to join Emily and told me that I would be fed soon.

I joined Emily at the fire. Neither of us talked and it was only five minutes before I was able to eat. I didn't know what the food was, but I devoured it quickly and someone was even so courteous to ask if I wanted seconds. I quickly answered with a 'yes' and once I was full, Emily and I were led to two matching bed rolls. It had turned dark as I had been eating and I found myself ready to fall on to the bed and sleep a whole day away. My eyes closed quickly and the last thing I heard was Emily whispering a quite 'good night' to me. I repeated the phrase and fell into a deep slumber; the best night pf sleep I had had in two days.

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Thank you all so much for reading this chapter. I'm sorry for the long wait for an update, but I have been very busy this week. Hopefully, things will settle down next week and I will be able to update sooner. Anyways, I know that there is a language barrier, but for the purpose of my story, it will all be explained later. I hope that you have enjoyed this chapter and I hope that it isn't _too_ Mary-sue; I've really been trying to make it as real as possible as far as their reactions to the Elves and Middle-earth go.

On a final note, please review. I definitely accept constructive criticism but I will not tolerate flames. Thank you!


	4. Flight to Rivendell

Author's Note: Thanks to all of those who reviewed my last chapter! It meant the world to me! Anyways, there were a few things that people said in their reviews that I want to mention. First of all, Whitedino mentioned that the elves were a little rude to the girls and that it was out of character. I do think that as well, but I did it the way I did because I was thinking that because it's during the War of the Ring, elves are going to be a little cautious around others when it comes to who's trespassing on their land. Second, Grace asked when I was going to update my other story. As soon as I'm done with this one, I will begin on the other one again. For right now, I just want to focus one thing. Anyways, thanks again and enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own "The Lord of the Rings" or any of its characters. I only own Natasha and Emily and maybe a few other new characters along the way.

Chapter 4: Flight to Rivendell

"Wake up, girl! I said, wake up!" I was roughly shaken awake and when my eyes fluttered open, I saw Elladan hovering above me. Or, at least who I _thought_ was Elladan.

"What do you want?" I asked groggily. I yawned as I waited him for answer.

"We must get moving," he replied.

"But it's still dark. You said we had until dawn," I told him, slightly angry that he had gone back on his word. I sat up and looked him straight in the eye.

"Orcs are roaming about and I fear that they are getting closer to our campsite," Elladan said. "We must get moving."

"What will we do?"

"You are coming with us," he answered somewhat stiffly.

"But you said-"

"I know what I said, girl. But I, nor any of my companions, could ride to safety knowing that two defenseless girls were out here at the hands of the orcs," Elladan explained.

"But can't you guys take them?" I asked. He looked at me, confused.

"Take them where, exactly?"

"No," I sighed, "I meant, can't you guys kill them? Like yesterday?" He shook his head.

"There are far too many. Eighty, at least. All we have here is twenty. And besides, we are running out of food and other supplies. It would, overall, just be safer to ride back to Imladris."

"Where?" I immediately asked.

"Imladris," he repeated. At my blank look, he said, "Rivendell."

"I really have no idea what you are talking about," I told him. Elladan first gave me a surprised look then one of suspicion. After a few seconds, however, he continued talking.

"Never mind that," he dismissed it. "We shall talk later once we get to safety. For now, you must get up. The orcs become one step closer for every second we waste here talking. Your friend is over there with my brother. There is no time to eat anything, I'm afraid. We will stop late in the day for a light meal, but besides then, we will not stop until we reach Imladris."

"How far away is it?" I questioned him.

"We will not arrive until dawn tomorrow," he answered. My eyes widened, but before I could say a word, Elladan cut me off. "You need to get up. We must make haste." And with that, he walked away, immediately beginning to shout orders to his comrades in what I assumed was his native tongue.

Slowly, I pulled the blankets off of my body, gasping as the cold air hit my body. I stood shakily, and once I had gained my balance, I began walking over to Emily and who I now knew was Elladan's brother. Emily smiled at me nervously as she hugged herself tightly, fighting off the cold. I could find no words to say for the current situation, so we stood in silence. Elrohir then walked off without a word and we watched as he conversed with his brother.

"What exactly are we supposed to do now?" Emily whispered to me. I shrugged my shoulders.

"I don't know," was all I could say.

"Have you ever ridden a horse before?" she asked suddenly.

"No," I replied slowly, shaking my head. "Have you?" she nodded.

"Once," she replied. "It was during a camping trip with Girl Scouts when I was nine. But it was only a four-hour trip, and it hurt my butt and thighs like hell after we were done." I winced. 'We are in for a long day and night,' I thought to myself dryly.

Emily and I stooped talking as we watched the soldiers tidy up the camp. By now, the blankets had all been picked up and the fire had been put out. Many were packing their supplies into small bags that were tied on to their horses. Others were picking up their weapons and hooking their swords to their sides and strapping their bows on to their backs.

I glanced up and stared up at the night sky thorugh the trees. Trying to calm myself, my eyes searched for the familiar constellations I had grown up with, but I frowned when I couldn't find any. And at that completely random moment, I came to realize that we were very far away from home indeed. However, I was not given the chance to dwell on the subject. Just at that moment, a large horn was heard from somewhere only about what I guessed was a few minutes away. At once, the soldiers quickly finished their tasks and began jumping on to their horses. Emily and I stared at each other, horrified.

"We must leave now," said a voice to the right. I turned to see the brothers there, weapons ready and horses beside them.

"One of you is to ride with me, the other with Elladan," spoke the other twin. Again, Emily and I looked at each other but neither of us made a move to walk towards them.

"Fine," Elladan announced after a moment. "The dark-haired one, you go with Elrohir, the other, with me." With one last glance at Emily, I walked over to Elrohir and stood awkwardly in front of him. I waited for a moment before gathering the courage to look up at him. Because I was only about five and a half feet, I practically had to tilt my head backwards to meet his eyes as he was about six foot two. His grey eyes bore down into mine and from the expression on his face, I noticed that he was waiting for me to do something. When I didn't do what he was expecting me to, he let out a short, yet very aggravated sigh.

"Please, get up on the horse. We are wasting time," he said. I glanced at the horse quickly before looking back up at him.

"I do not know how to," I replied truthfully. His expression flickered to surprise before he quickly masked it and nodded. In a flash, he jumped on to the horse and for a fleeting second, I feared that he was leaving me here. However, he offered his hand to me from up on the horse. I hesitated, but I soon remembered the horrible creatures that were quickly heading towards us. I made up my mind and grabbed his hand tightly. Elrohir's hand clasped mine steadily before he lifted me up behind him. In surprise, I wrapped my arms around his waist as I tried to regain my balance.

I closed my eyes tightly and I heard Elladan and Elrohir converse for a second before Elrohir barked out a command to all his companions that I once again did not understand. A startled gasp escaped my lips as the horse began moving. I held on tighter as I struggled not to fall off. The trees flashed by in a blur of green, and though it was still dark out, I could make out the faint forms of the other riders behind me.

At first, the feeling of the horse beneath me bothered me, but it was not completely uncomfortable. However, as time went on, it began to pain me more and more. By the time the group decided to stop for a small meal several hours later around noon, my backside was numb to the point where it wasn't even tingling any more.

I watched as Elrohir gracefully leapt off of the horse in front of me. He didn't even make a sound as his feet connected with the ground. I stared at him for a split moment before his eyes raised and met mine. His eyebrows rose as once again I was given the expectant look. I rolled my eyes but immediately groaned as I swung my leg over the horse, imitating his movements. I let out a sharp hiss as I landed back on solid ground, and if it weren't for Elrohir's quick reflexes, I would have fallen flat on my face. However, he was able to catch me and I mumbled a quiet "thank you" as my cheeks reddened furiously. The only response I got was a hasty nod.

The lunch we had consisted of the same food as the night before; a small bowl of stew that contained tiny pieces of vegetables as well as small pieces of meat and a cup of water. The atmosphere though, was quite different. No one was talking and instead of the more laid back mood of last night, tension filled the air. Emily and I did not speak one single word to each other and only two hesitant smiles were passed between us. We were both afraid that if we said anything that offended any one or the mood they were in, they would suddenly decided to leave us in the middle of the forest.

After another thirty minutes, we were back on the trail to Rivendell again. My eyes drooped and though the scenery was undoubtedly beautiful, I fell asleep. I awoke a few hours later to find that it was already practically dark. My body, particularly my thighs and rear end, was screaming in pain. The feeling of the horse running beneath me was now no more than a soft movement, but I could feel my body growing even sorer by the minute. It was obviously very painful, but I did not complain. Instead, I decided right there and then that I would never again ride a horse.

We rode straight through the night, just as Elladan had promised we would. I imagined that the horses would be fiercely tired by now, but no mercy was given to them. Instead, it almost seemed like the riders were pushing the horses even harder. I almost even voiced my concerns but decided to keep my mouth shut in order to avoid Elladan's or Elrohir's death glare.

During the last few hours of the little "trip", I amused myself by singing random songs in my head. I had first attempted to play a one-man version of I spy, but because practically everything was green, it was hardly fair. I found myself just needing to get my mind off of the fact that I was running from horribly disfigured creatures, captured by psycho men who called themselves "elves", going to a place that neither Emily nor I had ever heard of, and of course the part where my body was going numb. I truly believed that nothing could possibly get even worse than this. But of course, like the way it often happens in the movies whenever that line is said, it began to rain.

"Shit," I growled. No other word could ever be more appropriate for the situation as that one. It described just exactly what I was feeling, and despite the glare of a rider near by, I said it again.

I then closed my eyes and subconsciously buried my head on the side of Elrohir's back that wasn't covered by his bow or quiver. A few long minutes later, I heard shouting. I looked up to see that all the commotion was about. But as soon as my eyes caught sight of the valley that had suddenly appeared, I gasped. Through the rain I could see a large valley that had many rivers and waterfalls that made their way around what seemed to be a small town. But the word "town" did not suit it at all for it was too plain and simple of a word. This place was far too beautiful and serene looking that _no_ word would ever do it justice.

"Is that Rivendell?" I asked quietly.

"Yes," came Elrohir's straight forward reply.

"It is absolutely breathtaking," I mumbled though I suspected that he heard me. He suddenly turned around and I swore that it was the first time that I had seen him or anyone else around smile. It was a very small smile, but it spoke volumes. It described the pride he felt for his home and the happiness that he felt to be home. And as we continued to make out way towards Rivendell, I found myself smiling as well, my spirits instantly uplifted.

Okay, okay, I know the ending was cheesy, but I needed a spot to end this chapter or else it would drag on for another five or six pages probably. Anyways, I'm sorry that this chapter was somewhat boring. It will get better, I promise. Obviously, they'll be in Rivendell in the next chapter so stay tuned to see what commotions and trouble they'll cause. So, on a final note, please review. I do accept constructive criticism but I will not tolerate flames. Thank you!


	5. Welcome to Rivendell

**A/N**- Sorry for the long wait. I've been fairly busy and I have been under a lot of stress for the past few weeks and the only time I've had to write this chapter was during our study hall hour in school. I will reassure you that not all of my updates will take this long in the future. Many of you asked what the pairings were and I have decided that it will be a Natasha/Elladan and maybe Emily will end up with someone later on. Anyways, thanks for all of the reviews! You guys are the ones who inspire me to continue writing! So, on that note, on to the chapter!

Disclaimer: I think that it is pretty well known that I do not own any of places, characters, or anything else having to do with "The Lord of the Rings". I only own Natasha and Emily as well as a few other characters along the way.

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Chapter 5: Welcome to Rivendell

I could not tear my eyes off of Rivendell as we continued to ride into the city. Well, except for when we rode over a long, narrow bridge that was probably hundreds of feet above the ground. But besides that one point, I could not get enough of the beautiful sight. Even with the rain and dark clouds above it, Rivendell was the most splendid thing I had ever seen. And once I was able to catch Emily's eyes, I could tell she felt the same way.

The horses galloped into a large courtyard and once they had stopped completely, the other riders began getting off of them. As before, Elrohir jumped off and waited for me to follow. I, of course, stumbled again but I was able to steady myself on my own this time. With aching legs, I managed to make my way over to Emily who was grimacing as well. Only seconds later, we were being led up the stairs and into one of the larger stone buildings.

We turned a corner and straight ahead I could see two ladies; one fair-haired and the other dark-haired, who were talking together in hushed tones. The dark-haired one suddenly focused her attention in our direction. She let out a small gasp and I watched as a smile appeared on her beautiful face.

"Elrohir! Elladan!" she cried out as she began running towards us. Emily and I jumped to the side as the two said elves walked out from behind us. Emily and I stared at the trio in confusion as the lady hugged one twin and then the other.

"Dear sister!" said one twin, though I could not tell who from behind them. "We have missed you!"

"And I have missed you both as well," the lady replied. "Imladris has been terribly dull without my brothers present. How was the journey?"

"Everything went as planned for the most part," said who I assumed was Elladan as he held a hint of anger and annoyance in his voice.

"And the orcs?"

"Their numbers are becoming greater. Fortunately, nobody was injured," Elrohir said.

"Except you," Emily muttered somewhat bitterly beside me as she elbowed me lightly in the stomach.

"Ouch!" I exclaimed softly. Emily looked at me and I was about to tell her off for elbowing me, but I suddenly realized that the conversation between the three ahead of us had stopped. I took a glance in their direction and noticed that the lady was staring at us quizzically.

"Brothers," the lady began hesitantly, "who are these young ladies?" Her gaze never left Emily and I as she looked at us as if she had not even noticed us before. Each brother beside her sighed, though I noted that one twin sounded more aggravated than the other. I immediately labeled him as Elladan.

"We found them in the forest," Elrohir stated. "Orcs were heard nearby and we were not about to leave them out there alone without protection." The lady nodded in understanding.

"Well, then, I shall find them a room and bring them some food," she said. I smiled slightly at her, finding myself grateful that someone was at least being kind to us. However, Elladan immediately shook his head. I glared at him, despite the fact that the only reason I was still alive was because of him.

"Arwen, it is not necessary. We were only going to bring them to father. He will know what should be done with them. It will not take long. If you will excuse us, we shall-"

"Really, Elladan!" Arwen snapped abruptly. "Can you not hear yourself? These girls are people as well, not objects to be pushed around! They are cold, hungry, obviously in need of rest, and one is even injured! Once they have some time to recuperate, they may visit with father."

"Arwen, you have-"

"Come, now, girls," Arwen spoke, ignoring Elladan. "We shall get you cleaned up." Emily looked at me before she took a small step forward. Tentatively, I followed and as we walked down the corridor behind Arwen, I could practically feel Elladan's glare staring after me.

Silently, Arwen led us around many corners and past several doors. We followed wordlessly, careful to make as less noise as possible. Finally, she stopped in front of a door and she paused before opening it gradually.

"This shall be your room for the time being. I am sorry that it is quite small, but we are expecting several guests for the Summer Solstice Festival within the next few weeks," she said as she led us into the room. It was a simple room, but it was attractive as well. There were two queen-sized beds against the right wall and in between them there was a long table that was decorated with two lamps and large vase of flowers. Directly in front of us was a large window that led to a balcony and gave us a gorgeous view of Rivendell. In the right corner, there was what appeared to be a wardrobe and beside was a door that led to what I assumed would be a bathroom.

"Thank you," I mumbled softly.

"You are quite welcome," Arwen gave a small smile. "I am sorry for the way Elladan treated you. He has been like that since out mother left a few years ago."

"Where did she go, if you don't mind my asking?" Emily inquired.

"She went across the sea."

"Why?" I questioned, reasonably confused.

"It is a long story. But, anyways, he is slow to trust strangers. Perhaps he will one day warm up to you, if you stay long enough." There was a long pause as Arwen gazed out of the window for a few seconds. I twisted my hands nervously as she turned back to us.

"I will have one of our hand maidens come tend to you, as well as a healer to look at your wound. Can I assume that it has already been taken care of for the most part?"

"Yes," I answered. "Elladan cleaned and…stitched it a few nights ago." Arwen nodded in understanding.

"Is there anything else you might require for the time being?" she asked. Emily and I both shook our heads.

"Right, then, I shall leave you both in peace. Do not hesitate to ask if you need anything," Arwen said and she began walking back towards the door. I turned to Emily and was about to say something when Arwen unexpectedly turned back around.

"If you do not mind my asking, would you tell me your names so that I may inform my father of your presence?"

"I am Emily, and this is Natasha," Emily answered before I could even open my mouth. I rolled my eyes in annoyance.

"Well, Natasha and Emily, welcome to Rivendell," and with that, Arwen walked out of the room, quietly shutting the door behind her. Once the door was closed, Emily turned to me.

"So…what are we supposed to do now?" she asked, her voice downtrodden. "I mean, we're stuck here with people we've never met and in a place we've never heard of. How do we know that this isn't just a dream?"

"Maybe the fact that friggin my arm feels like it's going to fall off," I offered sarcastically. Emily winced.

"Scratch that theory then," she said as she sighed and sat down on the bed. She buried her head in her arms. "Jeeze, how did things get so messed up?"

"I have no idea," I mumbled, more to myself than her. "I think that the best thing for us to do right now is to stay calm and ask if they can lend us a map so we can go home in the morning or something."

"But if we're in a place we've never heard of, maybe the people here have never heard of our home either," Emily stated.

I thought about it for a second before saying, "Perhaps we're just in a really small town of some sort that nobody's heard of because it's so remote."

"But why would anybody not know of a place this beautiful?" Emily asked. "I mean, _hello,_ but this place would be a beautiful spot for a vacation or honeymoon or something." I didn't say anything because I knew she was right. If others had ever been here before, why the hell would they not mention such a perfect scenery spot to anybody else?

"It just doesn't make any sense. And even if it _is_ just a small resort of some sort, that doesn't explain how we woke up in the middle of the forest," Emily stated. I nodded.

"And why did that group of men think they were elves?" I asked, our predicament sounding more stupid and confounding by the second.

"Maybe we _are_ really close to home and we were kidnapped by these people. And then, maybe they plan on getting us high, making us think we're elves, and then making sure we never leave. And _that's_ why nobody's ever heard of this place before," Emily said, her voice growing more excited by the second. At that, I snorted.

"Great theory," I said, and despite the situation, I couldn't help but laughing slightly. Emily grinned and shrugged.

"Okay, maybe that _was_ too far out there, but let's keep out options open," she smiled. Silence drifted between us and I could feel the mood grow somber once more.

"I guess, for now, we should just play it cool and-" but I never got to finish my suggestion as at that moment, the door swung open and a woman walked in followed by a tall dark-haired male.

"The Lady Arwen told us that you might need some assistance," the lady said as she placed some towels down on a chair to her right.

"Um, yes, I guess so," Emily stumbled, still getting over the shock of the door suddenly bursting open. The lady nodded and turned to the man behind her. She whispered something to him and my eyes widened in surprise when I noticed something.

"By God, what is wrong with your ear?" I shouted loudly as my hand immediately came up to cover my gaping mouth. Their conversation stopped instantly and the two of them both turned to me with offended looks on their faces.

"Nothing is wrong with our ears, I assure you," the man told us stiffly.

"But they're pointed!" I retorted, my puzzlement growing by the second.

"Why, all elves' ears are pointed," the lady said this time. This time Emily took over.

"What is it with you people and thinking you're elves?" she said, exasperated.

"We are elves, lady, and I would suggest that you hold your tongue before you offend someone who could have a say in your intermediate future," the man hissed. Emily and I exchanged glances.

"But…elves don't exist," I tried again.

"Oh, they are very real, lady, I can assure you," the lady…elf said quietly.

"But…but," Emily stuttered.

"I wish to hear no more of ignorant thoughts as I have no need for them," the man (male elf, I corrected myself) told us sternly. Emily and I shut out mouths, finding no more will to argue with the people were obviously on cocaine or some other drug. But nonetheless, we recognized who had the authority in the situation. And against a rather large, strong looking male, I knew it wasn't us.

"Now," the lady began quietly after a moment's pause. "I was told that you both need some food, water, a bath, and a change of clothes." I rolled my eyes at the bath part. We weren't _that_ dirty. But as my eyes caught sight of Emily's tan face that was smudged with dirt, I quickly change my mind: _I _wasn't that dirty.

"And, I was also informed that one of you was in need of a healer," the man said. I watched as his eyes roamed over us each until his eyes landed on my arm. "Very well. You shall follow me, and the one with the blonde hair will follow Lothrin." He exited the room and I hesitated for a second. I really did not want to go with the male who looked like he was more ready to tear my body apart inch by inch than to actually heal it. However, I knew that my arm needed to be tended to. I glanced at Emily and watched in confusion as a small smile appeared on her face.

"What ever happened to the 'playing it cool' part you were mentioning?" I shook my head in slight amusement, figuring that if anyone would ever be able to lift my spirits in the worst of situations, it would always be her.

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Once again, I'm sorry for the long update. I've simply been very busy. I hope that you all enjoyed thist chapter and I hope that I have at least somewhat explained Elladan's harsh treatment towards the girls. I can assure you that it will all be cleared up in the future. Also, I think I mentioned before that this was set during the War of the Ring and I have changed my mind. This is actually now set some time before it. Sorry for the confusion.

On another note, please review! I accept constructive criticism but I will not tolerate flames. Thank you!


	6. Reality Sinks In

**A/N**: Once again, I'm so sorry for how long it took me to update. I have been fairly busy the past few weeks with being in two different plays, choir concerts, school finals, and dance recitals. I hope you all forgive me. Another thing, a few chapters ago I mentioned that this was during the War of the Ring, but I decided to make it a few hundred years before, obviously, as I have also mentioned that Elrond's wife has only been gone for a few years. I hoped to take away at least _some_ of the Mary-sueness that way. Anyways, on to the chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own _The Lord of the Rings_ or any of its characters. Believe me when I say that I would give up everything to own someone as gorgeous as Legolas or any of the other hot elves. Unfortunately, however, I only own Emily and Natasha.

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**Chapter 6: Reality Sinks In**

I followed the "elf" out of the room and back into the hallway. Once again, I was forced to walk down an endless number of passages until he finally led me into a large, white room that was filled with about six beds. I stopped in the doorway and waited for the instructions on what I should do next. As if reading my mind, he turned around to face me.

"Please, sit," he said, motioning to a nearby bed. I did as I was told and watched as he rummaged around in a few drawers in a desk across from me. Once he had found what he had been looking for, he stood up, pulled a chair over to me, and sat down.

"Let me see your arm." I obeyed his command and placed my elbow in his hand. He examined the bandage for a quick second before he began unwrapping it. Once it was completely removed, I suppressed a grimace. It sill looked horrible.

"How did this happen?" the male questioned me as he started to put some cream over the stitches. I sighed. I had only been asked this question once before and it was already getting old. I decided to give him the simplified version.

"I was sitting up in a tree and those...what were they called? Oh yeah, orcs. Well the orcs shot up a stupid arrow and it cut me on its way past me," I answered. He nodded.

"And who, may I ask, wrapped your wound for you?"

"Elladan," I just short of growled out. He gave me a look.

"Then you are lucky," was all he said. I stared at him with a frown on my face. _Lucky?_ The man had been nothing but an asshole to me! And despite the fact that he had probably saved my life, I couldn't help but dislike him. _Strongly_ dislike him. I wanted so badly to tell the man in front of me how wrong he was about being _lucky_, as he put it, but I kept my mouth shut. The last thing I needed as to be kicked out of Rivendell and pushed back into the hands of the demented looking creatures we had encountered earlier. So, I said the only thing that I felt didn't sound _too_ disrespectful.

"Why am I so _lucky_?" The man looked up with an annoyed look on his face. I guess he had picked up on the unbelieving and sarcastic tone in my voice.

"Because," he began, "he is the son of one of the most gifted healers to have ever walked this earth and I daresay he has acquired some of that gift as well."

"Oh, _please_. All he did was stitch my arm up. Anyone with a needle and thread could have done that," I retorted.

"Then why didn't you do it yourself?" the man shot back icily. Shutting up now, I thought to myself.

"The stitches will need to be taken out in about a week, but for now I suggest that you change the bandages every night to avoid infection. I will send the supplies to your room later so that you may do it yourself, since you seem to know so much about the arts of healing. Any questions?" I shook my head and stood up. He then nodded in a way of saying goodbye and then proceeded to put away the medical supplies. I began walking back towards the door but then stopped suddenly.

"Actually, I do have one question," I said quietly. He turned around, an annoyed and slightly angered expression on his face.

"Well, what is it?" he asked, his eyebrows raised.

"How do I get back to my room?" The corners of his mouth twitched unexpectantly into what I believed could form a smile, but before I could take a good look, the annoyed expression was back.

"Come, I will take you there," and he walked out of the room.

Hours later, I was back in my room, sitting on my bed, waiting for the maid to bring our super. By then Emily and I had had the privilege to take a nice, warm bath and change into some new clothes. However, no matter ho gracious I was, I couldn't believe that I had been forced to wear a frilly, white night gown. I mean, I'm definitely not one of those girls who swear of dresses for their entire lives, but I hated wearing them to sleep. They're uncomfortable and ride up to your waist while you're sleeping. But when I asked Lothrin for a pair of pants to sleep in, a scandalized look flashed on to her face and she immediately insisted that there were none for females to wear. Ever. She even told us that our own clothes would not be returned to us until we were leaving because they were too "improper". That itself nearly made me scream. So instead of my own clothes, I was stuck in an uncomfortable piece of lacey material that reminded me of the stuff ladies used to wear a hundred years ago. Maybe the reason why we had never heard of this place was because the people here were too damn weird.

Nonetheless, I accepted it and left the problem alone. We'd be out of here within the next week after my stitches were removed and once we had a map to lead us home. Or, at least, I hoped we would.

With a frustrated grunt, I laid my head against the pillow and squeezed my eyes shut tightly. I felt a major headache coming on. I was tempted to ask Lothrin to bring me some aspirin, but _something _told me that they did not have that sort of medicine here. I mean, _hello_, but how come there was no anesthetic for people who needed stitches? And _why _were people still riding horses for transportation and using bows and arrows for weapons? What age exactly were these people living in? Of course I would not change the scenery or architecture, but I felt that a few things such as medical supplies, weapons, and transportation methods should be modified to better fit the time our world were going through.

"What are you thinking about, Tasha?" came Emily's voice from the other bed.

"I was wondering why it was _us_ who got stuck in this Robin Hood era," I told her, not bothering to open my eyes. I heard Emily laugh.

"I'm actually starting to kind of like it here," she said.

"You're weird."

"I am not," Emily retorted. I could practically see her rolling her eyes. "You have to admit that it's quite pretty here."

"Of course it is, but I still want to go home."

"And you think that I don't? Oh come on, Natasha, stop being ridiculous. And get out of that mood you're currently settling into."

"I'm not in a mood! I'm just stressed about getting home," I replied indignantly. I sat up and glared at her.

"Look, I want to get home just as much as you do, so stop feeling sorry for yourself and thinking that you're all alone in that feeling. All I'm saying is that we should at least _try_ to enjoy it here. We might end up being here for a while," Emily said.

"Oh, and fun that would be," I stated sarcastically. "We'll have such a great time with the Twins from Hell and everyone else who decides that they hate us already. And then, once we get back, we'll have to make up a bunch of school work that we missed because we were too busy lollygagging through the forests. _And_ we'll have to go to the police and tell that we're really not missing because God knows that our parents are probably out of their minds with worry."

"Natasha, you're being stupid. Everything will turn out fine," Emily tried to reason. I got out of my bed and began pacing angrily.

"But how do you know that? We should be doing everything we can to try and get home. And that doesn't include playing around and getting attached to this place!" Emily opened her mouth to reply, but, before she could, the door opened and Lothrin walked in, holding two trays.

"Here is your meal. I hope you find it satisfactory," she said as she placed it on the table between out beds. She stood up straight and looked from Emily to me with wary eyes.

"Everything alright, ladies?" she questioned. Emily and glared at each other. I crossed my arms and sat down on my bed.

"Everything's fine," Emily replied stiffly.

"Yeah, just fucking perfect," I mumbled under my breath. Lothrin nodded with raised eyebrows and I knew that she had heard me.

"Well, I also came to inform you that the Lord Elrond has agreed to see you tomorrow in his study after breakfast. I shall be around to collect you in the morning. Goodnight," and with one more look at the two of us, she left. For a second I stared at the trays on the table before I lifted it up and placed it on my bed. Emily and I ate in silence and after I had finished, I promptly went to sleep.

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The next morning, I was roused awake by a person strolling into our room and opening the curtains. My eyes squeezed shut, threw the blankets over my head, and tried to block out the bright morning light. However, all my efforts were in vain. Suddenly, my blankets were thrown back off of my body. I groaned.

"Get up, miss, it is time for breakfast," Lothrin's cheery voice said from above. I looked up and saw her smiling down at me. Again, I groaned. _Time for breakfast?_ _This early? _Only insane people would be up at this hour naturally. And as I glanced back up at Lothrin, who was busy humming to herself while watering the plants in our room, I knew my suspicions were true.

"Can't we sleep any long?" came Emily's voice, laced with sleep, from the other side of the room.

"I'm afraid not. Breakfast is to be served in thirty minutes and after that, you are due to meet with Lord Elrond. I tried to let you sleep as long as possible," Lothrin replied.

"If you let me sleep for a little bit longer, you won't have to worry about me biting others' heads off," I growled as I reached for the covers. However, Lothrin only laughed.

"I think you will be fine. Now get up," she said as she walked over to the wardrobe. I managed to drag myself out of my bed but I stumbled a few times on the way into the bathroom. I shut the door behind me and leaned against it for a few seconds. My eyes landed on the chamber pot a few feet away and I groaned. That was yet another reason to go back home. Damn pot.

After I had "done my business," I washed my face, combed my hair, and brushed my teeth with an object that was supposed to be a toothbrush, but didn't look anything like one. When I stepped out of the bathroom, Emily immediately rushed in.

I looked at Lothrin who was busy tiding up the beds. When she was finished, she turned to me and smiled. Behind her were two dresses on a chair and I didn't even have to ask who they were for. I suppressed a glare. I could tell already that this was not going to be a fun experience at all.

By the time we were walking to the breakfast hall, I officially knew that I would be insane by the time we were bidding this place farewell. Once again, I had been forced the wear a god-awful dress. Well, actually, that's a lie. The dress was quite pretty, and apparently "matched my eyes," but that didn't keep me from hating it. Oh, how I longed to be able to walk without worrying about tripping.

Anyways, when we walked into the breakfast hall, I was excited to see that it was empty. Not another person in site! Lothrin led Emily and I over to two chairs sitting across from each other. She then announced that she had some other thing to take care of and that she would see us later. After she had gone, silence filled the hall once more. Emily and I hadn't spoken since the night before.

As I watched her, I realized that she looked quite comfortable with everything that was going on. As before, I became enraged. We were stuck in the middle of no where and here she was treating it like it was some long overdue vacation. How could she be so in control while I was fidgeting nervously with the napkin I had placed on my lap? And not to mention the fact that she was enjoying wearing a dress. She had always told me that she hated them, and now she suddenly liked them? _Damn traitor._

However, I was forced to stop bad-talking my best friend in my head when the doors at the entrance swung open. My head whipped to my left and I watched with wide eyes as people began filling into the room. They gave Emily and I strange looks as they walked by and I truly struggled not to shout or them to stop staring when it was them with the demented pointy ears. Not that I would ever really do that, though. I knew who had the authority here. Even a girl like me has limits as to what she will and will not do.

"Natasha, what are we supposed to do?" Emily whispered from across the table. I was about to answer with a sarcastic remark, but two silhouettes in the doorway caught me eye. Yup, you guessed it; the twins who without a doubt wished for me to die a particularly violent and painful death. I swear, I could practically hear Elladan's growl from where I was sitting. Don't worry, sweetheart, I thought to myself, I hate you too. The two gave each others identical looks and began walking further into the room. I let out a sigh of relief as Elladan, in particular, walked straight past us. And the only reason I knew it was him because his brother at least had the decency to nod lightly in our direction, something I was sure Elladan would never do. However, he stopped and said something to another man before he started walking back in out direction. He looked at me with a stoic expression, pulled out a chair, and sat down. _Right fucking next to me._

I turned my head and went to roll my eyes at Emily, but I noticed that the other twin was sitting right next to her as well. So, I lowered my eyes and stared instead at the breakfast plate that had magically appeared in front of me. At once I remembered how hungry I still was, even after last night's meal, and reached for my fork. Just as I was about to dig in, a hand shot out from my right and pushed my hand harshly back down.

"Not yet," Elladan growled from next to me. I glared at him and he matched it evenly. "You are to wait for when Lord Elrond is seated." Still glaring at him, I nodded reluctantly and released the fork. He then let go of my hand and turned away to talk to someone else. I looked over at Emily and we shared a look that clearly said, "Who shoved a stick up his ass?" I didn't care if he had lost his mother a few years ago. That was no excuse to treat others like shit. People lost family members all the time and _they_ didn't go around acting like the world owed them something. True, I felt sorry for him as is obviously hurt to lose someone close to you, but that did not excuse his behavior.

I was about to say something to Emily, but the hall suddenly turned quiet. I looked up just in time to see a dark-haired man enter the room followed by a tall golden-haired man and Arwen. As soon as they sat down, however, the hall returned to its business and at once, others began to eat. Frowning, I tapped Elladan on the shoulder.

"Yes?" he asked, annoyed, as he turned to face me.

"Now may I eat?" I asked sarcastically. He rolled his eyes, nodded and then turned back around to continue his previous conversation.

"Thank you," I muttered to myself. I immediately began digging in, my appetite getting the best of me. Emily, it seems, was just as hungry as she shoveled the various kinds of food into her mouth. We finished before anyone else and as we waiting for everyone else to finish, I quickly became bored. I yawned, tired of just sitting there. In solution, and in the spur of the moment, I kicked Emily underneath the table. I laughed to myself as she jumped in her seat. She rolled her eyes, but kicked me back. Though footsie was usually considered a "lovers game," it entertained us while we sat there. That is, until, I accidentally kicked someone that was _not_ Emily. It didn't take long for me to realize who I had kicked as I instantly heard a growl and the sound of hands slapping the table.

"Do you _want_ me to throw you out into the hallway until the rest of us are finished?" Elladan roared. I leaned back in my chair, shocked. His face was practically a few inches away from mine.

"Um, no, sir," I replied meekly. His obvious anger had caused the sarcastic part of my brain to not work correctly.

"Then I suggest that you keep to yourself for the rest of the meal," he snarled. I nodded quickly. He continued to glare at me even after I had bowed my head, closed my mouth, and folded my hands neatly in my lap. Once his stare lifted off of me, I closed my eyes in embarrassment. Though the hall was still alight with laughter and discussions, I knew many people were staring at me. And though I hated to admit it, tears were already forming beneath my eyelids. I took a few calming breaths and stayed that way until breakfast was practically over. I didn't even open my eyes until felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around and found the dark-haired man who had entered the room earlier now standing behind me. He offered me a small, sympathetic smile. I could not find the heart to return it.

"If you will follow me, ladies, I shall lead you to my study where we shall discuss your current situation," he said kindly, yet with authority. I stood up and followed him towards the exit, Emily directly behind me. I took one last glance at the hall and my eyes settled on Elladan laughing with another man. As if feeling my eyes on him, he turned, and instantly his smile turned to a dark frown. I gave him a blank, expressionless look before walking out of the breakfast hall. Ha, I thought to myself bitterly. I hope you feel guilty when this is all over, you jackass.

The man, who I had come to realize was the Lord Elrond, led us to his study that was a good five minutes away from where we had started. He opened a wooden door and waited for Emily and I to make our ways into the large room before shutting it behind him. The room was large and open with many book shelves, plants, and several open windows that gave a beautiful view down to the courtyard.

"Please sit, ladies," he said. I was about to ask "where?" but then I noticed a small desk with four chairs surrounding it in a corner to my right. Emily and I exchanged glances but quickly sat down as instructed. Elrond took a seat behind the desk himself. "We will wait for a few moments. I have asked someone to join us." Sure enough, a few minutes later, the tall golden-haired man that we had seen enter with Elrond walked into the room and closed the door behind him.

"Ladies, I would like you to meet Lord Glorfindel. He is one of my most trusted advisors," Elrond introduced us. The Lord Glorfindel bowed his head slightly before taking the chair next to Emily and moving it around so it was closer to Elrond. Once he was seated, Elrond spoke.

"Well, I know that you know who we are, but my sons neglected to inform us of your names. Would you be so kind as to enlighten us so that we made proceed?" Elrond began. That's right, I thought to myself. So far nobody had so much as asked us our names. Well, actually, that was a lie. Arwen had been courteous enough to ask us, but her brothers had not. How _rude._ But, then again, it _was_ Elladan and Elrohir we were talking about here, so somehow it came as no surprise whatsoever.

"I'm Natasha," I spoke first after a few seconds.

"And I'm Emily." Elrond nodded, though a look of confusion flickered across his face for a split second, as if he had never heard of our names before. This man must clearly be delusional, I decided. Our names were quite common enough. However, he hastily regained his blank expression and folded his hands in front of him on his desk.

"And would you mind telling us why my sons found you wandering in the forests directly outside of Imladris?" he questioned.

"We were lost," I answered truthfully. Lord Elrond raised his eyebrows. I hated when people did that. It clearly stated "you're lying," which I wasn't. Hell, I just wanted to go home. Why would I lie when it would only bite me in the butt later on?

"Really," he said skeptically. Emily and I nodded fanatically. "Well, if you could kindly tell us the name of your village, I could have you escorted back home when the week is over." What the hell, I said mentally. Village? The only place people still heard the word was when thinking of the restaurant "Village Inn." I let it fly, though, just this once, and I controlled my tongue. Why should I care what he called dear old San Fran? We were finally getting a chance to go home.

"We live in San Francisco," Emily said, both excitement and pride lightly lacing her voice. Lord Elrond's face showed confusion once more as he and Glorfindel exchanged looks. I nearly groaned. Exchanging looks meant something was up.

"Pardon? Could you say that name again, please?" Elrond requested.

"San Francisco," Emily repeated obediently.

"I don't believe that I've ever heard of that village before," Elrond said, puzzled.

"Well, it's not a village. It's a city. Maybe that's why," I insisted. Elrond shook his head.

"Maybe you have heard of it, Glorfindel?" he asked.

"No, I confess that I have not," the golden-haired man responded.

"How can you not know of San Francisco? It's one of the biggest cities in California," Emily stated.

"California?" Glorfindel asked, perplexed.

"Yes, California. That's the state we're in, right?" I asked.

"We can't possibly be in Nevada or Arizona. It looks a little to wet and green here," Emily put in.

"What's a 'state'?"

"You know, the United States of America," I told him, beginning to panic. "Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado…"

"I'm afraid that I've never heard of any of those places," Elrond stated. Emily and I exchanged worried looks.

"How can that be? The United States is one of the most powerful countries in the world. Practically everybody has heard of it!" Emily nearly shouted.

"Perhaps you are thinking of Minas Tirith in Gondor," Glorfindel suggested.

"Gondor? What the hell is that?"

"It is currently the most powerful place where the race of men is concerned," Elrond explained.

"Race of men? Why do you talk like you're not humans as well?" Emily asked, exasperated.

"Because we're not," Elrond stated simply. Emily groaned out loud.

"Don't tell me you guys think you're elves, too. It's like someone set us in a controlled area where scientists observe crazy people," she said, rolling her eyes.

"I bed your pardon, Miss Emily, but we are indeed elves," Elrond was the first to speak. I could see anger clearly settling into his eyes, but he kept his face impassive.

"Are we on some kind of reality TV show? Like maybe Survivor in its newest location: the psyche ward?" I asked. Elrond shook his head, his eyes still betraying the calmness of his face.

"I have no idea what you are talking about, but I can assure you that this is no joke," Glorfindel said sternly.

"Then how come we're in a place we've never heard of before, talking to people who have never heard of The United States, and think they're elves? Seriously, how much are guys getting paid?" Emily asked sarcastically.

"Believe it or not, Miss Emily, but we are not getting paid anything. We are simply telling the truth when we say that we are elves. And, back to our previous discussion, we will find a way to send you home, even if that means searching all over throughout Middle-earth," Elrond told us.

"Middle-earth?" I repeated, my eyes wide. "I don't know where you guys have been, but what we live on is called Earth."

"Miss, this land has been called Middle-earth since before _I_ was even born," Elrond stated tiredly.

"But _we_ live on a place called _Earth_," I said slowly.

"How can that be?" Glorfindel asked himself quietly. He turned to Elrond who just continued to stare at Emily and I, thinking to himself. Suddenly, a look of realization crossed his face and his eyes widened considerably.

"That would explain everything," he whispered softly, more to himself than us.

"What would?" Emily and I asked immediately in unison. Elrond seemed to snap out of a trance as he erased the emotions off of his face. He sat up straighter and looked at us closely.

"Could it be possible that maybe Middle-earth and Earth are two different worlds?" he asked slowly. I looked at him like he was crazy. Which, I thought to myself, he probably is.

"Of course not," I scoffed immediately. "Who has ever heard of something like that happening before? It's impossible!"

"It might seem that way, yes, but it explains why we have never heard of this 'California' of yours and why you continue to refuse that fact that we are what we say we are," he explained. My face paled. In an odd sort of way, it made perfect sense.

"But that still doesn't tell us why we suddenly ended up in the middle of a forest," I told him.

"No it does not," Elrond said. "That is still puzzling me as well."

"So you really are elves then?" Emily asked after a short moment. Both Glorfindel and Elrond nodded.

"What's crazier; having people think they're elves, or us believing them?" I asked Emily with a nervous laugh. Emily sighed, frowning, and ran a hand through her blonde hair. I buried my face in my hands and took a long, deep breath. A second later, I lowered my hands and faced the elves in front of me.

"So, how are we supposed to get home, then?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

"I'm afraid that I, too, have never heard of something like this happening, assuming that you really _are_ from a different world entirely. Therefore, I'm not entirely sure that you will be able to return to your homes. I will send out a messenger to the Lady Galadriel of Lothlorien immediately, for she is one of the wisest of our people. However, I doubt that she will be able to help. If it comes to the worst, I offer you both a home here permanently, if your wish it," Elrond said. I stared at the wall behind him, struggling to hold back my tears. I twisted my hands in my lap and bit my lip to the point that it bled in order to keep from breaking down.

"Thank you," Emily managed to choke out. She sounded just as broken as I felt.

"May we please be excused?' I asked, tears already beginning to blur my vision. Elrond nodded sympathetically. I managed to stand up, despite the fact that my legs were shaking beneath me.

"I shall escort you both back to your rooms personally. And I shall also see to it that you have separate rooms tomorrow to further accommodate you," he stated gently.

"Actually, if Natasha doesn't mind, I'd rather share a room with her for a while. It might be better for both of us to stick closer to each other for support, you know?" Emily whispered. I nodded in agreement.

"Of course," he said. He stood up and began walking towards the door. As he opened it, Glorfindel spoke from behind us.

"If there is anything that you might need, ladies, feel free to ask. I shall see to it personally as well that you are as comfortable as possible," he offered. Emily and I both nodded our thanks, not trusting our voices to come out as anything more than a croak. Elrond slowly led us down the halls. It seemed to take hours, but in reality, it was little more than a few minutes. We were close to our room when a voice called out from behind us.

"Father! Father, wait up!" the voice shouted. We all turned and I noticed one of the twins running up to us. I didn't have the heart to growl, or even glare.

"Not now, Elladan," Elrond told his son. Elladan stared at his father for a split second before looking at Emily and then at me. At that very moment, a tear managed to drip down my face. I hastily wiped it away, cursing the fact that he was probably satisfied at seeing me cry. He looked shocked for a small moment, but with in a second, his face twisted into a glare. With one last look, he looked back up at his father again.

"But I need-" he started.

"I said not now, Elladan. Go back to my study and I will be back after taking these ladies to their room," Elrond repeated firmly. Elladan frowned but nodded and turned on his heel. He walked back down the hall, his footsteps not even making the slightest hint of a sound. Once he was out of sight, Elrond looked at Emily and me.

"Shall we continue on?" he asked. We both gave our consent and not a minute later, we reached out room. He opened the door for us and Emily and I instantly walked in.

"Again, if there is anything you might need, do not hesitate to ask," he said softly before closing the door. As soon as he was gone, a dam inside of me broke. Without so much as a glance at Emily, I threw myself on my bed and collapsed into tears and stayed like that for the rest of the day.

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WOW! That was a long chapter! That goes out to all of you guys who waited patiently for me to update, though it was a bit longer than originally planned. Oh well, you guys won't mind. I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Please review! I will not accept any flames, but I encourage you to give me any constructive criticism that you might have. Thanks again! 


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